BCS Championship grades for Florida State, Auburn

Jan. 7, 2014
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Florida State Seminoles quarterback Jameis Winston (5) reacts after fumbling the football against the Auburn Tigers during the first half of the 2014 BCS National Championship game at the Rose Bowl. / Kelvin Kuo, USA TODAY Sports

The Seminoles, 14-0, needed a touchdown pass with 13 seconds left to pull ahead for good after a back-and-forth final quarter. Here are position grades for both the Seminoles and the Tigers.

Florida State

- Quarterback: C. Jameis Winston saved the worst game of his college career for the sport's biggest stage. But he came through when it counted, completing six of his seven attempts for 77 yards and a score during the Seminoles' game-winning drive.

- Running back: B. The backfield wasn't terrific, but Devonta Freeman, James Wilder, Jr. and Karlos Williams churned out tough yardage while the passing game struggled. Williams' seven-yard gain on a fake punt in the second quarter turned the game around.

- Wide receivers: C+. The Seminoles dropped too many passes, crippling any chance Winston had of developing a rhythm. But Kenny Shaw and Kelvin Benjamin came through with the game on the line late in the fourth quarter.

- Offensive line: B. Like the offense as a whole, the line had its hands full corralling Auburn's underrated defensive line. But from late in the second quarter through the final whistle, FSU's front set the tempo.

- Defensive line: B. While players like Timmy Jernigan were gassed by Auburn's speed on offense, the defensive line did keep Auburn quarterback Nick Marshall largely under wraps in the running game. It wasn't a perfect performance, but the line was adequate.

- Linebackers: B-. Linebackers like Christian Jones, Telvin Smith and Terrance Smith struggled with the physicality of Auburn's spread offense. These same linebackers also had some sour moments in coverage over the middle of the field.

- Secondary: A-. Minus one breakdown on a 50-yard touchdown pass in the first half, FSU's defensive backs made Marshall work for yardage in the passing game. P.J. Williams had a big interception early in the fourth quarter.

- Special teams: A-. Any missteps by punter Carson Beatty were offset by kicker Robert Aguayo's perfect two-for-two afternoon and Levonte Whitfield's for-the-ages kickoff return that gave FSU a 27-24 lead in the fourth quarter.

Auburn

- Quarterback: B. Where Marshall surprised was in the passing game. While he didn't excel running the ball, he completed 14-of-27 attempts for 217 yards and two scores. He was able to find open receivers downfield, though he did miss on Ricardo Louis in the first quarter.

- Running back: A+. Tre Mason was as good as advertised. He ended the day with 195 yards and a touchdown on 34 carries, including a 37-yard scoring scamper that put Auburn ahead 31-27 with 1:19 left in the game.

- Wide receivers: B+. Some mistakes from the FSU secondary made things easier for Auburn receivers like Sammie Coates and Melvin Ray, but credit the Tigers' targets for taking advantage of any opportunities. Ray's 50-yard touchdown grab was the longest play of the game.

- Offensive line: B. This group, such a strength all season, did open up lanes for Mason. By and large, however, the Tigers' offensive line did not control the line of scrimmage, as it had done for most of SEC play.

- Defensive line: A-. Even with just four rushers, Auburn's defensive line made things miserable for Winston and the Seminoles' passing game. No other team had done the same to Florida State's offense.

- Linebackers: C+. Cassanova McKinzy and Kris Frost finished one-two on the team in tackles, but Auburn's linebacker corps was fairly quiet. For most of the game, the Tigers' line and secondary did the heavy lifting.

- Secondary: B-. Auburn played better than expected along the back end, but the secondary's inability to get one last stop on FSU's final drive led to the Seminoles' retaking the lead with little time left. Chris Davis was called for pass interference inside his own end zone, giving FSU the ball on the Auburn two-yard line with less than 20 seconds left.

- Special teams: B+. Any positive grade is due largely to the play of punter Steven Clark, who curtailed the Seminoles' momentum by pinning their offense deep time and time again. But the Tigers' coverage teams failed on Whitfield's kickoff return.

Paul Myerberg, a national college football writer for USA TODAY Sports, is onTwitter @PaulMyerberg.